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Buy Or Else: Shopping Dispute Leads To Tourist Death

Open Jaw

26.10.15

Tourists from the Chinese
mainland are often lured into joining very low-cost tours to Hong Kong that
include compulsory visits to shopping outlets. Apparently, a certain level of
spending is compulsory too.

Miao Chunqi, 54, a tourist
from mainland China, was allegedly dragged out of a Hong Kong jewellery shop
last week and beaten unconscious in what was described as “a shopping dispute.”
He died the following day.

The attack
is believed to have started when Miao and his colleague Zhang Lixia refused to
purchase items from a shop they were taken to on a tour.

Mainland
Chinese tour escort Liu Yang, 32, and Hong Kong guide Ricky Woo, 44, did not
enter a plea against a manslaughter charges at Kowloon City Court. Two more
assailants seen attacking Miao on CCTV footage are still at large, while 2
women, aged 32 and 53, were arrested and released on bail for fighting in a
public place.

As Australia’s eGlobal Travel Media reports, dodgy mainland tour operators rely
on commission from the HKG shops to make up for the low tour fees.

Recently there have been
reports that some mainland agencies are hiring “shadow tour members”, who pose
as members of the tour group, but whose job is to persuade other visitors to
buy more during their trips.

Ill feeling and disputes
often result, as they do with other high-pressure sales tactics (resort
timeshare pitches anyone?), but thankfully the consequences aren’t usually so
tragic.

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